Bittersweet Memories
by XxChillyxX
Summary: After Melbu Frahma is defeated the adventurers go their seperate ways. Life continues on and the new generation comes into being. The journey isn't over yet for either past or present heroes.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, this is a one-shot that may eventually turn into a multi-chapter story. I have a story on what happens next, but it depends on if anyone is interested. Even if it doesn't get a good response I may write the rest for me lol. Well, whatever happens I hope that you enjoy this!**

**The story itself is written from Meru's point of view. This takes place immediately after Lloyd is defeated and the group is headed to Vellweb to face Emperor Diaz. **

* * *

The fire before me cast an orange glow onto the walls of the cave. The dripping of melting ice echoed throughout the small space. I, along with the other dragoon warriors and Lloyd, were headed to Vellweb to confront Emperor Diaz and take Shana back.

Lloyd had told us about the divine moon objects, and we were now all restless. It was getting late, and a few were falling into half-sleep states. I myself was wide awake.

Dart was staring into the fire, I can only imagine what was on his troubled mind at this point. Rose and Lloyd were also awake, keeping the silence. The others were down for the night it seemed.

I slowly stood to my feet; the other's gazes fell on me.

"I'm going out for some fresh air, the blizzard seems to have stopped," I voiced as I made my way out of the mouth of the cave.

I was immediately bit with the cold night air. I definitely wasn't dressed for this kind of weather. Feeling the need to stretch my legs I began walking away from the cave down a frozen path. The cold snow crunched beneath my feet as I sauntered along.

I was about 15 minutes from where the others were resting when I spied a small nook up ahead and made my way in its direction. There was a rock outside of the shallow opening; I didn't hesitate in allowing myself a moment of rest.

Letting out a small sigh I looked up the startling night sky. Past warms puffs of my breath I could see hundreds of dazzling stars starkly shining against the pitch black sky. It was a breathtaking sight. It was moments like this that I missed so many things- my home, family…. Without the others I would truly be all alone.

A sudden noise snapped me out of my daze. The soft sound of snow crunching caught my attention. I turned to see a figure coming in my direction. A lock of silver hair caught in the moonlight- it was Lloyd. I looked back to the night sky.

"What are you doing so far from camp," Lloyd questioned nonchalantly. He stood next to me and followed my gaze up to the heavens.

"I just….have a lot on my mind…" I offered in response. I don't know why I wandered away. I suppose I just needed to be alone for a while.

"Hmm." Lloyd took a seat next to me on the rock. He was no longer wearing his armor; instead he wore his usual black attire. I flinched a bit as his arm momentarily pressed against mine. I suddenly realized how cold I was, after feeling the warmth coming from his close body.

"What about you, why did you follow me," I questioned with genuine curiosity laced into my voice.

"Don't flatter yourself, I went out for a walk shortly after you did and happened upon you."

He shifted in his seat before letting out a sigh and relaxing.

"Uh huh, sure, I bet you were just hoping to catch me moon-bathing weren't you," I giggled.

Lloyd let out a soft strained laugh. He didn't offer any more though, no comeback or defensive words. Instead he looked over at me.

"It's hard isn't it," he began still looking over at me," to be away from our homes and our people."

I looked over and met his gaze. The moon was basking him in moonlight, illuminating his fine pale features. I took him words in for a moment before answering.

"…yeah," I uttered the words lowly hearing the sadness in my own voice. "I feel so alone, even when I'm surrounded by the others. It's like I'm not supposed to be a part of their world."

Before I could stop it I felt my eyes begin to sting. I broke my gaze away from Lloyd and looked at the ground in front of me. My breathing picked up as my face began to flush.

Unexpectedly I felt a hand fall onto my shoulder. Lloyd's hand was seeping warmth into my cold body. I felt my barriers break and let the tears fall from my eyes. One by one they slid down my face, making me feel so weak and ashamed.

Lloyd pulled me to his body and I buried my face into his chest. I breathed in his scent, and he smelled just like home. That was the last straw. I began to shake as my face was streaked with my salty tears. I was crying uncontrollably now.

His other arm found its way around me and I was suddenly locked in his warm embrace. His strong arms felt so good against my bare skin. He seemed to take notice of my coldness and pulled me in tighter.

It was all so overwhelming. Suddenly, it was as if I wasn't alone anymore. There was someone here with me who understood the emotions that plagued my heart. He had a home once, with family and friends too- he understood.

* * *

After a while my breathing slowed and my shaking subsided. We were still in each other's arms sharing the warmth between us.

My head still lay against his chest. I could hear his steady breathing, and the rhythmic beating of his heart in his chest. Something in me didn't want to move, I just wanted to stay here with him like this.

I pulled away from him slightly; his arms didn't hesitate to allow me movement. I found his gaze briefly before closing my eyes. The next moment I felt his warm lips find mine. I wasn't sure who had bridged the gap, but we were now locked together.

My hand found its way to his face. His skin was smooth under my touch. I traced his jaw, and then ran my hand through his silky silver locks. His hair felt exactly like mine, it was so soft. He followed suit and allowed his hand to slide down from my shoulder to my side. His slightly rough hands felt good on my bare skin.

We broke the kiss and looked at one another. His gaze was intense, and I knew in that moment that I wanted nothing more than to be with him. He was comfort and strength, everything that I desired. I knew not what the future held, but I knew that that night would be ours.

My hands began exploring his body, every line and muscle. His lips kissed down my neck, not missing an inch. His lips were so soft with just the right amount of pressure. His hands too began to wander over my body.

Lloyd removed his shirt and laid it on the surface of the rock behind me. He then gently laid me onto my back with my body resting on his shirt. I looked up at him admiring his chiseled chest, seeing how his muscles moved and rippled with every move he made.

He rested his palms on either side of my head and lowered his mouth to mine. Once more we were locked together.

Everything else happened in a blur of passion and ecstasy, our bodies molding into one. I couldn't have imagined this happening in any other way.

* * *

Afterwards we lay together with me against his chest once more. My cheeks were flushed and I was warm all over. His strong arms held me close to him.

"You should go back first," Lloyd stated.

I pondered this for a moment before nodding. "Okay."

I sighed deeply before breaking away. I slowly dressed in my clothes, already missing his heat and intensity. I slipped on all of my clothes and looked back at him. He gave me a coy smile, lying with only his crumpled shirt beneath him.

As I turned to leave his hand reached out and grasped mine pulling me in to him. He planted a kiss on my lips before letting go. I allowed myself one last look before turning to leave.

* * *

Back at the cave with the others it seemed that everyone had gone to sleep. The fire was weak and barely crackling. It seems that we had been away for a while now.

I sat down away from everyone else and leaned back against the cave wall. My eyes fluttered a bit before shutting completely. I was exhausted.

It seemed that I had barely closed my eyes when I felt someone sit next to me. Lloyd had his arm around me, pulling my head down onto his shoulder. It would be fine since everyone else was asleep already. So that's how we stayed until the morning sun rose- together.

* * *

A few hours later I heard people rustling about. I cracked open my eyes to see that the others were already up and packing their things. I gave a stretch of my arms and rose to my feet.

"About time you woke up," Haschel remarked," you young people like to sleep in and waste your mornings away."

I rolled my eyes and began collecting my things as well.

My eyes casually scanned the room. I saw Lloyd across the room dressed once again in his armor, collecting a few items off of the ground. His eyes met mine and were captured there for a brief moment. We both looked away a moment later. Now was not the time for that. We could worry about what the future held for us after this was all over.

Dart, who had been outside, walked back into the mouth of the shallow cave.

"Okay guys, let's get moving," he stated," Vellweb isn't too far."

I nodded and watched as the others walked outside. Lloyd and I allowed ourselves to be the last ones left inside. I walked in front of him towards the exit. His hand caught mine and gave a slight squeeze before letting go- for the last time.

* * *

**That's it, hope you guys enjoyed it. I liked writing it because I love the thought of Lloyd and Meru being together. Too bad it never happened in the game, but oh well. Thanks for reading and review if you want more or simply liked the story! ****I do not own the picture, from Deviantart User: yanagi-san. Link: art/Lloyd-and-Meru-Color-Revised-1176431**


	2. Chapter 2

**So... I haven't touched this story since I wrote the first chapter (the possible one-shot). Alas, I have had the idea for the rest of the story for a while now and couldn't ignore it any longer. I plan on making this a fairly long multi-chapter story, but it will probably take a while. I am in the middle of my DMC fanfic and it takes precedence. Anyways, thanks for reading and enjoy.**

**Chapter two picks up after the group defeats Melbu Frahma and go their separate ways. I explain a bit more later in the chapter, at least the parts that I think are important. **

* * *

I wearily opened my eyes, not wanting to face another day. It was still early and I wanted nothing more than to lie in bed all day. As I rolled over to face away from the window my stomach gave a low gurgle. I pressed a hand to my belly as I felt a knot forming- and then….

I leapt out of bed with haste and ran to the bathroom down the hall. I barely made it to the toilet before I leaned over and hurled the contents of my stomach. Feeling that another wave might occur I took a seat on the ground and rested my arms on the seat of the porcelain form.

This had been happening for about a week now. I had been feeling very fatigued and sick. It was always in the mornings that I was sick, sometimes it hit me midday. All I knew was that with each passing day my heart felt heavier and my anxiety rose. I just didn't want to believe what was happening, not after everything we had all been through.

Soft footsteps made their way down the hall; they were approaching my current location in the bathroom. I knew who it was, who it always was this early in the morning.

"Meru?" I heard a soft voice call as the door was carefully opened. Shana popped her head into the small room and gave me a worried look. I glanced at her before returning my gaze to the toilet bowl.

Shana leaned down next to me and began to gently rub my back. Her touch was fairly soothing to my queasy state. That was Shana though; she was always helping and looking after others. I guess she was always very motherly, and this was no different.

"Why don't we go to the kitchen and I'll make us some tea? I bet that would help settle your upset stomach."

I nodded my head then offered her a weak smile. Tea did sound nice. Anything would feel good in my empty belly right about now.

* * *

Shana and I were seated at the dining table in the cozy kitchen. I sipped my tea and relaxed as the warm liquid ran down my throat. A heavy sigh left me as I prepared for what was coming. We couldn't avoid it any longer and I knew that today would be the day that we talked out it; wanting to dance around the subject for as long as I could though I tried avoiding eye contact.

After another deep drink from my mug I cautiously peered over at Shana, she was staring right at me. _Crap_!

"Don't give me that look!" I went into defensive mode.

"Meru… what's going on?" Shana looked at me sternly and I immediately felt like a child being scolded.

"I don't know, I don't feel well…"

While it was true that I didn't feel well I did have an inkling of what was wrong. She gave a quick 'mm hmm' and crossed her arms.

"I am a girl too you know, I understand how this all works. You are-"

"Shhh, don't say it out loud!" I put my palm up and cut off her sentence. I felt that if it was said out loud then it would be true, and I wasn't ready for that reality just yet. But in all honesty it couldn't be avoided for much longer.

I slouched my shoulders forward feeling both ashamed and sad at the whole situation.

"I didn't plan on any of this," I began. I glanced out of the large window onto the garden in the front yard- it was a lovely day outside. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

Shana followed my gaze to the front yard and took a turn soaking in the beauty as well. She sighed before speaking. "Who is the father Meru?"

Slowly I turned to gaze at Shana knowing that this was the time to talk about it, about everything. I owed to her; she and Dart had done a lot for me and deserved the truth.

"It's Lloyd's…" I trailed off.

The brunette's eyes immediately saddened at the revelation. She was just now experiencing the hurt that I had been living with since the final battle against Melbu Frahma. I had lost Lloyd and she only now realized what that meant.

"Oh Meru, I'm so sorry, when did it…."

"We had a moment together just before Vellweb."

The memories still hurt to think about. I had been kept very busy and preoccupied over the past weeks and hadn't had much time to think about everything. Talking about it now was bringing back a lot of deep feelings.

"Oh I see, that was when Miranda was traveling with all of you."

I nodded my head in agreement. That's right; Shana hadn't been with us at the time. It all seems like it happened years ago, but those events weren't too far in the past.

"How long ago has that been?" Shana rhythmically tapped her fingertips on the table, probably a nervous habit.

I counted in my head for a moment before answering. "About eight weeks maybe."

"So, two months then."

I drained the last of my tea, feeling both sad and relieved at the same time.

* * *

We defeated the Wingly dictator about four weeks ago and had all gone our separate ways. Well, everyone for the most part had split up. I didn't want to go back to the forest so I came here to Seles with Dart and Shana. Albert had returned to his kingdom to marry Princess Emile. As for Haschel, he and Kongol decided to stick together and train; or so I heard.

Overall it was good to get this off of my chest; even though Shana had been on to me all along I assumed. Part of me had been afraid to tell her for more than the fact that it still hurt me. More than that, I knew that it was a tender subject for her as well. She was ready to have a child with Dart.

The two had been inseparable since our return to Seles. They now lived together and were to be married in a small ceremony in a few months. Dart insisted on them waiting until everything was stable and returned to normal. I could tell though that he too was ready to be wed and have a child with his love.

I lived with the pair now in their modest two bedroom cottage. The town itself had begun to rebuild after the incident earlier this year when Shana was captured. I had heard all about it. When we arrived at the end of our long journey much of the town had been restored to its former glory- so Dart and Shana claim.

The small town is cute and cozy. I was very glad that the townspeople accepted me, well for the most part I guess. There were a few of the older generation that knew what I was and looked down on me. I don't let that stuff get to me though. I'm in a good place now.

* * *

After our little 'talk' Shana and I began preparing on lunch. Lunch was going to be a new challenge, that was when Dart came home and ate before going out again. He had been lending a hand with the rest of the townspeople who were still in full swing rebuilding. Telling him would be worse that telling Shana I assumed.

I set to work chopping vegetables to go into the soup that Shana was preparing. My mind was racing trying to decide what to say when Dart came home. Maybe I could write it down and let him find the note, or maybe I should just blurt it out and run. Hmm.

"Meru?"

Shana looked over at me while continually stirring the pot in front of her; she had a skeptical look plastered on her face.

"Huh, did you say something?"

"I just wondered if the potatoes were ready yet?"

"Oh, yeah." I walked over to the stove and set down the plate loaded with diced potatoes for her.

As I turned to walk away Shana gently put her arms around me and held me in a warm embrace. She gave me a little squeeze.

"It'll all be okay- I promise. We'll tell dart when he gets home and he'll be so excited." She released me and I turned to face her. "Give me one of those wonderful Meru smiles."

I shined her the best smile that I could muster. Shana smiled back in return.

"We will get through this together. It hurts now, but in a few months you'll have a little baby in your arms and a genuine smile on your face- I just know it."

Hearing this made me smile for real. The corners of my mouth pulled tight and I let out a tiny giggle. She was right; I was going to have a baby. In a few months I would have a tangible piece of Lloyd, something I could hold and love forever.

* * *

**I love Legend of Dragoon so much and wish that more people had gotten into it. The game, in my humble opinion, is on par with FF7 as far as how fun it was to play. Both hold a special place in my heart though. 3**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone! Thank you everyone that has read so far, it means a lot. I'm re-playing the game as I write this and I'm at the part on disc 2 where you fight Lenus in Fletz. Fun fun. **

**Anyways, there is a little more back info in this chapter and some stuff happens that I plan to build on WAY later in the story lol. Well, enjoy. **

* * *

It had been about a week since Meru and I had our talk. I was left with the difficult task of telling Dart the truth; something he probably didn't want to hear. It wasn't that he didn't like Meru, far from it; it was the other half that I was worried about. There was still a tender place in his heart from everything Lloyd had done to him- to all of us.

The sun was about to set; steaks of burnt orange littered the sky as a purple and black blanket rolled in. I felt it, tonight I had to tell Dart; I couldn't keep a secret from him, he is my everything.

Dart was out in the small building behind the house; he liked to go out there and clear his mind after long days. After I slipped on a pair of house shoes I tip-toed outside and headed to the back building. There was a light coming from the single window. Trying not to startle him in his thoughts I gave a light knock on the wooden door before entering. The door creaked open and I was immediately met with Dart's warm smile.

"Why hello there." Dart rested his arm on the table beside him and gave me his full attention.

"Hey." I didn't know how to start or what to say really; I decided to ease into it.

"And what do I owe the pleasure? You hardly ever come visit me in the 'shack'." He gave a chuckle.

"I just wanted to see you and talk."

I took a seat in the chair next to the front door. The building itself was rather small, only containing a work bench, two chairs, and a chest with a small assortment of tools. Dart liked to call it his cozy little work space.

"Mmm hmm, talk huh?" He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "That doesn't sound good."

I rolled my eyes to try and downplay the imminent 'discussion'. Proceeding with caution would be for the best, I had no idea what Dart would think when I told him.

"Well it's about Meru…"

"Is she feeling any better?"

Dart knew that she had been sick; we had both heard it in the early morning hours when she awoke. Of course him being a man though he had no idea of what was really wrong with her. He assumed that everything was a 'bug' and could be cured with soup and time.

"She'll be fine, but there's a reason why she's been sick Dart."

He gave me a puzzled look while he tried to find the correct words.

"Like, you know what caused her to become sick?"

"Sort of. Look Dart I'm just going to say it. Meru is pregnant."

He had a very surprised look on his face at the shocking news. The blonde then sat back and crossed his arms over his chest while thinking. After a few moments he spoke again.

"Who…who is the father? I'm lost."

_On boy, here's the part that I've been dreading. _I scooted my chair closer to his and took his hand's in mine. I had been staring at the floor and just before I spoke I made eye contact and held it.

"It's Lloyd's child…"

Dart's brows furrowed. It sounded like he was holding his breath, then he released a sigh. I had an inkling that he wouldn't be the first to speak again.

"I don't know too much about it myself, but it seems they were together shortly before the final battle."

Instead of stewing in the silence I decided to keep the conversation going and divulge everything that I knew- giving him more information might help him process everything. I squeezed his hand once more.

"Lloyd…," Dart almost whispered the name. His gaze was everywhere except on me it seemed.

"Yes, and I think that Meru is still upset about….everything."

This seemed to pull his focus in a new direction.

"Yeah, I would imagine so; Meru is strong though."

"And she has both of us to support her right?"

I smiled at Dart letting him know that it would all be okay. He finally looked up to meet my eyes with his icy blue ones. A small smile curved up on his lips.

"She does have us Shana. It's just…" He trailed off. "Meru is a dear friend, and I know that Lloyd turned things around in the end, but…. the damage that he has done."

I knew exactly where he was coming from, for this is what I feared before I told him. My expression fell at hearing this. Dart seemed to take notice and leaned forward to wrap his arms around me. His strong arms made me feel so safe.

"It's okay Shana; we'll get through this together."

I pulled back and smiled at Dart.

"That's exactly what I said to Meru when she told me."

"It's true; you, me, and Meru will support one another."

Moments like this made me so overwhelmed with love and joy and how Dart could be sometimes; he was truly my one and only. I breathed in his scent and relished the moment that we shared together.

The two of us continued to talk a little more about everything. We discussed what the next few months would hold and how things should be approached from now on. He was happy for Meru but felt like he needed a little more time before he truly embraced everything- I was happy with his honesty.

* * *

The next few weeks went by quickly. With the announcement of Meru's pregnancy to Dart out of the way the next big occurrence was wedding preparations. Dart and I were set to be married in four more months. The town was starting to shape-up more and more every day, plus things were fairly settled so we decided to set a date.

The wedding was to be held in Seles and we invited all of our comrades- I was so excited to see everyone again. Things were well underway and I had roped Meru into helping me with all of the details. I only hoped that it wouldn't be upsetting to her, considering everything.

I eyed Meru as she scribbled a few words on a piece of paper in front of her. She had taken it upon herself to write everything down so she wouldn't miss anything, unusually smart of her actually.

The two of us were seated in a new shop in town; they served breads and hot meals. It was one of the new buildings to be constructed and was excited to try it out.

As I awaited someone to take our meal order I soon became impatient. We had been here for well over twenty minutes and there weren't that many people inside eating. I took it upon myself to approach the front counter.

"Hold on a minute Meru, I'll be right back."

"Uh huh," Meru replied as she continued to write, never looking up.

I casually walked to the counter and placed my hands on my hips as I waited for the lady to turn around. After a moment the woman turned her back to face me.

"Excuse me m'am but my friend and I have been waiting for service for close to half an hour now."

The woman appeared to be in her late fifties and gave a scowl before explaining.

"And you won't get any service, not with that thing with you." She pointed her wrinkled hand to where Meru was sitting, still scribbling away.

My mouth fell open as I took in her harsh words.

"'That thing'? I think you are mistaken, Meru hasn't done a thing to you!"

"I don't really care what she has or hasn't done; we don't serve her kind here though."

I felt my face get red and flustered. Anger began to whell up inside me as the woman continued to speak. I took a few deep breaths before speaking again.

"We will just take our business elsewhere; I don't appreciate your prejudices or bitterness!"

I turned on my heels and stomped my way back to where Meru was seated. At seeing her sitting there my face was overcome with sadness. This wasn't the first time this had happened. While it was true that me, alongside the other dragoons, had saved the world nobody 'really' understood this. They weren't there and didn't comprehend what we had done.

There were people who recognized Winglies and remembered stories from long ago before the Dragon Campaign. Stories had been passed down over generations telling of the silver-haired winged 'beasts' that had once enslaved humans. It seemed that the stories were still circulating and sadly being believed in.

Meru had heard people talk behind her back and sometimes even to her face saying terrible things. Of course it didn't bother her; she could take a few harsh words no problem. I think it upset me more than it did her. It didn't happen all the time either, not many knew of Winglies and of the tainted past. I hope that over time the stories will fade into history.

I returned to Meru. She looked up at me and gave me a smile.

"What the heck is taking so long, I'm starving!"

"It seems that they are out of ingredients; there was a larger crowd this opening week than they had anticipated."

I felt bad at having to lie to Meru, but knowing her if I had told her she would confront the owner and threaten to hit her on the head with a hammer. It was better this way; if I could shelter and protect Meru then I would.

"Bummer, well let's go home and chow down."

With pep in her step the silver-haired girl collected her things from the table and trotted out of the front door. I was relieved that she had bought it and that we could be gone. Besides, we had more important things to think about than close-minded hags- we had a wedding to plan!

* * *

**Ooh 'going to the chapel and we're going to get married' in the next chapter! Haha. I'm going to fill you all full of happy times and rainbows for now...mwahaha...**


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